(Tufted Puffin & Horned Puffin)

Puffins don’t look like they belong in the North Pacific. With bright beaks and sharp facial markings, they almost seem tropical — until you see them standing on a wind-cut cliff with cold gray water crashing below.

In Alaska, puffins are seasonal. They arrive in late spring, crowding offshore islands and coastal cliffs to nest, filling the air with constant motion. For a few short months, the rocks feel alive.

Identification

Alaska has two primary puffin species: Tufted Puffins and Horned Puffins.

Tufted Puffin

• Larger overall

• Bright orange beak

• Golden facial plumes (visible in breeding season)

• Dark body with pale face

Horned Puffin

• Slightly smaller

• Thicker, triangular beak

• Small dark “horn” above the eye during breeding season

• Strong black-and-white facial contrast

Both species have compact bodies, short wings, and a fast, buzzing flight pattern when heading back to cliff nests.

Where You’ll See Them in Alaska

Puffins are found along Alaska’s rugged coastlines:

• Kenai Fjords

• Southeast Alaska

• Gulf of Alaska islands

• Bering Sea coastline

• Offshore rock outcrops and sea stacks

They nest on steep, grassy slopes or in rocky cliff faces where predators have difficulty reaching them.

Boat-based wildlife tours offer the best viewing. Land access is often limited to remote islands.

Seasonal Patterns

• Arrival: Late April to May

• Breeding: Early summer

• Chicks: Raised in burrows or cliff crevices

• Departure: Late summer to early fall

For most of the year, puffins live entirely at sea. The dramatic coastal colonies are a short seasonal window.

Because they spend so much time offshore, calm conditions and layered waterproof gear make wildlife viewing trips far more comfortable. Coastal weather can shift quickly even in midsummer. Puffins may look playful, but they’re built for harsh ocean life — diving deep to catch fish and riding swells that would challenge most seabirds.